How Big Of A Dumpster DO I Need For A Bathroom Remodel?

A bathroom isn’t one of the largest rooms in a house. In fact, except for a master bathroom, bathrooms are typically the smallest rooms in a home.

You might think that a bathroom remodel is a relatively small job that doesn’t generate a lot of waste that needs to be disposed of properly. Think again. In fact, bathroom remodels generate a lot of waste, and if you don’t have a good disposal plan in place, you could be stuck with a difficult mess.

If you have a pickup truck and convenient access to a landfill, you might be able to handle the waste disposal on your own. However, even if you do, it’ll probably require more than one trip, so it’s an inefficient, time-consuming process.

The best solution is a roll-off dumpster rental, and if you find yourself wondering, “Where can I find a roll-off dumpster rental near me?” look no further than RGH Waste & Disposal.

RGH-Oct-Extra-Bathroom-Remodel-scaled

 

What’s a Roll-Off Dumpster Rental?

A roll-off dumpster is a rectangular bin with an open top for easy disposal. The top is low enough to facilitate depositing waste, and some have double doors on one end that make it easier to dispose of heavier items. 

A truck with a hydraulic bed “rolls” the dumpster, which has locking wheels, into place, usually on the closest level driveway. These dumpsters are more prominent and sturdier than the cube-shaped bins with folding tops that you might be used to seeing behind restaurants and stores. Roll-off dumpsters are specially built for heavy-duty residential and commercial projects.

 

What Kind of Waste, and How Much, Does a Bathroom Remodel Generate?

So back to that bit of info that bathroom remodels generate a high amount of waste, much more than you might think: 

On average, a bathroom remodel produces 1,260 pounds of waste from demolition and construction. That’s more than half a ton. It’s about the weight of 3 gorillas or lions, 3 Honda or Kawasaki sportbikes, or 12 bags of cement. Think you’re getting all that into the trash bin for weekly pickup? Nope!

Although most bathrooms aren’t that large, they contain objects and materials that weigh a lot. Think about the following, all or most of which are always or usually in any bathroom, and how they cumulatively build up in weight and take up space: 

  •     Toilets, tubs, and sinks
  •     Vanities and cabinets
  •     Fixtures and fittings
  •     Doors and windows
  •     Metal, glass, concrete, and plastics
  •     Drywall and flooring 

Yes, those things add up, and quickly at that. 

A bathroom remodel can also include a good deal of hazardous waste, most of which usually can’t be disposed of in a dumpster. This can consist of some, all, or more of the following: 

  •     Paint thinners and oil-based paints
  •     Aerosol spray cans
  •     Bulbs, lamps, relays, and switches with mercury
  •     Sludge from solvents 

Now, the good news is that if you’re green-minded and/or looking to cut costs, a lot of bathroom remodel waste can be recycled, reused, or salvaged. Here’s a list that isn’t exhaustive: 

  •     Concrete, metal, and plastics
  •     Clean and untreated wood
  •     Insulation
  •     Fixtures, fittings, and even appliances that still work but you want to replace
  •     Untempered glass and assemblies for doors and windows
  •     Scrap from masonry 

If you’re a homeowner doing a DIY remodel, maybe you know people or companies you can donate these things to post completion. If you’re a contractor, you probably do. 

But even if you can unload those materials, so they don’t have to take up space in a landfill, or if you can’t, you still need a disposal solution, and a roll-off dumpster rental is still the best solution.

 

What Size Dumpster Is Best for My Bathroom Remodel?

The answer to the question above is this ever-frustrating one: It depends. 

We’re not going to do that to you, though. This article can’t magically prescribe the right size for any project, but we can give some advice based on experience. 

To start with, let’s say that we here at RGH Waste & Disposal offer 20-yard and 30-yard dumpsters. That’s because experience has taught us that smaller dumpsters frequently turn out to be too small, costing people extra money for extended or additional rentals, and that larger dumpsters, while being up to the job, make people pay for more capacity than they need. 

With 20- and 30-yard dumpster rentals, we’ve found the sweet spot for just about any project. 

These numbers are in cubic yards, but most people don’t go around thinking of things in terms of cubic yards, so it might help to frame things in a perspective that will make sense to a lot more people. 

For a bathroom remodel, a 20-yard dumpster is usually sufficient. To put that into perspective, it’s about 120 33-gallon trash bags, six full pickup truck beds, or around 250 wheelbarrow loads. 

Now let’s look at a 30-yard dumpster: up to 190 33-gallon trash bags, nine pickup truck loads, or up to 405 wheelbarrow loads.

Rent a Roll-Off Dumpster from RGH Waste & Disposal

Instead of spending time googling “roll-off dumpster rental near me” and wading through the results, come take a look at RGH Waste & Disposal and see what we offer and what our customers have to say about us. We think you’ll see why we’re a regional leader in our field. 

Get a free quote by calling us or filling out an easy online form. We’ll consult with you and help you pick the right size dumpster for the job, and we’ll provide a quote that tells you exactly what you’ll pay; there are no hidden fees that some other companies will drop on you. 

We’ll deliver the dumpster to you either the same day or the next day– always within 24 hours– and then you fill it. When you’re done, call us and we’ll come pick it up. After that, we take care of all the transport and disposal. Your project’s waste is out of sight and out of mind. 

Request your free quote today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shari Griffin